Refrigerator-case.



No. 700,72I. v Patented May 27, |902.

W. 'H..AMES.

BEFRIGEBATOB CASE.

(Application Bled July 5, 1901.)

(No Model.)

W/ TNE SSE S 73mm; la. MJT@ A na/vn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM H. AMES, OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

REI-'mcERAToR-ASE.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,721,` dated May 27,- 1902.

Application filed July, 1901.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that LWILLIAM H. AMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vatsonville, in the county of Santa Cruz and'State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerator-cases, the obj ect of my invention being to provide a device of this character by means of which perishable fruits can be stored and shipped to adistant point and preserved in the same case for a considerable time at a sufficiently-cold temperature to prevent the fruit spoiling, not only during transit, but after arrivingat its destination and when on sale by theA retailer until the whole of the fruit has been sold. The case, in which the.

fruit has beenpreserved up to themoment of sale, is then returned to the shipper.

A further object of the invention is to pro-V vide means for'preventing the jarring and jolting of the fruits or berries against each;

other, which is one of the principal causes of the spoiling of perishable fruits in traveling long distances.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of such refrigerator-cases,

rendering it easier to keep the same supplied taken on the line A A of Fig. 2, parts beingY broken away. Fig. 2 is a similar section taken on the line B B of Fig. 1.l Fig. 3 is a broken perspective view of one of the uprights for the rails carrying the trays. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same, partly in vertical sections. Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the hangers for the rails. Fig. 6 is a side view of the trap. Fig. '7 is a vertical section of the same, and Fig. 8 is a side view of the support for `the trough. A

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a box or case closed at the top, bottom,- sides,

Serial vNo. 61205. (No model.)

and back and open at the front. A door 2 is provided for closing the front, which door may be either single or double, as desired.

3 is an ice-receptacle suitably supported in the top of the case, having a Wooden body 4 and a metalliclining 5'. Within said yreceptacle the blocks of ice are deposited upon a grating comprisinglower transverse strips 6 and upper longitudinal strips 7 laid across the transverse strips. Through this grating the water into which the ice in the receptacle melts iiows and discharges by an elongated spout S into a trough 9, from which trough the water passes,YK by means of a pipe 10 at the front end of the trough, into the rearend of a trap 11, said trap comprising a casting having vertical partitions 12, extending from the bottom and top, respectively, to within a short distance of the top and bottom. A pipe 13 leads from the front end of saidvtrap to the exterior of the case. By this means the water of the melting ice is discharged outside the case, While the hot air from outside is prevented by the trap from entering the refrigerator-case. Also it will be seen that by thisA construction a large clear space is provided inthe receptacle for receiving the blocks of ice.

An important feature of my invention resides in the provision which Ihave made for preventing shaking of Fthe fruits or berries with each other, and for this purpose I provide at each sideA ofthe case and also in the middle pairs of'uprightsor supports 14, which rest upon springs 15 and slidev in guides 16. The guides 16 at the sides of the case are secured to said sides, while'in the middle said guides 16 are secured to the-uprights 17l of the frame or support 17 for the trough 9. From the supports 14 rails 18 are suspended by means of hangers 19, made .of wire bent into a hook shape, as shown, the oblique bent ends of said hangers entering oblique holes 20, formed in the supports'14. Two such series of holes 2O are formed,the holes or socktrays or shelves 21 sliding on said rails.

IOO

With this construction it will be seen that the cold air passes downward through the spout 8, over the edge of the trough 9,*then down the refrigerator-case at the center. The air rises at both sides, being the warmest. Thus an excellent circulation is produced, and the refrigerator-case is thus one of great efficiency.

, I do not confine my invention to the parv pass to support the same, and trays sliding on said rails, substantially as described.

2. In a refrigerator-case, the combination of supports having downwardly inclined sockets, Wire hangers .having downwardlybent portions in said sockets, rails in which the other ends of said hangers are inserted, and trays sliding on said rails, substantially as described. y y

3. Ina refrigerator-case, the combination of trays, vertical supports thereof, guides in which said supports slide, and springs for resiliently sustaining'said supports, substantially as described.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. AMES.

Vitnesses:

E. S. AMES,l M. A. K. AMES. 

